ead Man_, and I am not disposed to
quarrel with the title, for I like it.--You and your history are known
to me; it matters not how I obtained my information; you are styled Mrs.
Belmont, a widow--but you are the discarded wife of Francis Sydney, and
half an hour ago you engaged yourself in marriage to Mr. Hedge, the
owner of this house.'

Julia started with alarm, for she felt that she was in the power of that
terrible man.

'What is the object of your visit?' she asked.

'Listen and you shall know. I have a secret subterranean cavern which
communicates with the cellar of this building, and 'twas by that means I
entered the house to-night. Myself and friends often find it convenient
to carry stolen goods through this house into our den; and in order to
have the place all to ourselves, we have heretofore frightened away the
people who have come here to live; thus the house is reputed to be
haunted. 'Twas our design to frighten you away, also; but having
discovered _who and what you are_, I've concluded to explain the
mystery, and set up a copartnership with you.'

'And in what business can _we_ possibly be connected together?' asked
Julia, with ill-concealed disgust.

'In the business of _vengeance_!' thundered the Dead Man, foaming with
rage. 'Tell me, woman--do you hate Sydney?'

'I do!--and would sell my soul to be revenged upon him,' she replied
with flashing eyes.

'Enough!' cried the other, with triumphant joy--'I knew you would join
me in my plan of vengeance. Now, madam, from this moment we are
friends--_partners_, rather let me say--and there's my hand upon it.'
And he gripped her hand almost fiercely, while she shuddered at the
awful contact. It seemed as if she were touching a corpse.

'Hereafter,' continued the miscreant,--'you shall rest at night securely
in this house, undisturbed by pretended ghosts. Do you see these wounds
and bruises?--for them I am indebted to Sydney; my wife is a raging
maniac, and I am also indebted to him for _that_--and by eternal hell!
when I get him in my power, he shall die by inches; he shall suffer
every slow torture which my ingenuity can devise; his brain shall burn,
and when death shall end his torments, I have sworn to eat his heart;
and by G----, _I'll do it_!'

'But how will you get him into your power?' asked Julia, delighted with
the prospect of revenging herself upon poor Frank.

'I will contrive some means of deluding him into this house; and once in
her